Monstrous Mondays: The Zhop

Art by Leanne Buckley
From "Into the Cosmos"

It looms over you, five humans tall. Its tentacular arms wave slowly back and forth. Is it reaching for you? Is it hungry? Its bulging eyes betray a certain degree of confusion and consternation.

"Zhop" may be the name of an individual. For all the Cosmic Patrol knows, however, it may also be the name of the race. They seem friendly, but the sight of one suddenly looming overhead has caused many a near tragedy when a surprised Patrolman has pulled out their raygun and fired on instinct.

These aliens' homeworld has not yet been determined. It has not yet been possible to establish clear communications with them either, which has delayed the development of some sort of alliance between the Zhop and the Cosmic Patrol. Hopefully these giant aliens are not the innocent pawns of more sinister players on the galactic scene!

Sample Zhop Aspects:*

• Very Model Modern Major Humungulous
• Seems friendly but unreachable
• Gesticulating tentacular arms
• What is it trying to say?
• Bug eyed monster
• Obvious potential to be dangerous
• Don't let it grab you!
• Don't smoke around it!
• Puny human!
• Where are they from?

*Some Aspects listed here are quotes from the Cues and Dispositions listed for the creature in the "Into the Cosmos" supplement for Cosmic Patrol.

The Zhop art is by Leanne Buckley for Catalyst Game Labs. Text is by John Everett Till, based on the Cosmic Patrol and Into The Cosmos publications by Catalyst Game Labs. All content before the OGL Mechanics section is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

OGL MECHANICS

The Zhop

Scale 3 (Medium)
Physical Stress: 7
Composure Stress: 6
Fate Points: 6

Skills:

• 1 Great (+4): Might
• 2 Good (+3): Endurance, Fists
• 3 Fair (+2): Alertness, Intimidation, Science
• 4 Average (+1): Empathy, Engineering, Mysteries, Resolve

Monstrous Special Abilities: 3

• Extreme Conditions (Endurance skill, p. 257)
• Extreme Habitat (Endurance skill, p. 257) - vacuum
• Tentacles x 2 (Fists skill, p.258)

Weaknesses:

• Elements Exposure - Fire (Minor Weakness) -  Hydrogen gas buoyancy 
• Elements Exposure - Air (Minor Weakness) - Can be pushed by strong winds

Notes: The Weaknesses are my guesses about how these creatures are put together and survive with such a large body. These guesses are informed by some of the Cues for the creature in "Into the Cosmos".